


all i want for christmas is you

by ruzekhalstead



Series: luke & julie au collection [11]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020), Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Boys are alive, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, friendship goals but they're obviously in with with each other, juke, julie and luke are so cute in this i cant, oh no i wonder how pretending to be in a relationship is going to help with that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:20:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruzekhalstead/pseuds/ruzekhalstead
Summary: "the entire family is getting together for christmas and she just assumed i was bringing my boyfriend and then when i tried to explain, she mentioned you by name and i just kind of blanked and basically, my whole family thinks you're my boyfriend and you're coming to spend christmas with me.""cool. when do we leave?"holiday university au-when julie finds herself in a situation where she needs luke to come home with her to celebrate christmas with her family, he is more than happy to oblige. too bad julie's already in love with him, and not sure when she stopped pretending.
Relationships: Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Series: luke & julie au collection [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2202399
Comments: 185
Kudos: 626





	1. the week before christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone!!
> 
> it's been a minute, wow. i do apologize - if i could spend all of my time writing, believe me, I WOULD. but alas, i still have school and this was my week from hell (tests and assignments due every day) but once i finished my SIXTY-NINE PAGE ASSIGNMENT due on this past friday, i decided to start this little piece and the words just kept flowing and flowing and suddenly it was already so long and i hadn't even gotten to the good stuff yet so i decided to make it a christmas multi-fic story instead :)
> 
> full disclosure: i am a SUCKER for the whole fake dating/relationship trope. i think i have a fic for every of the fandoms i wrote for using this theme and i didn't have one for juke yet!! and i really want to get in the christmas spirit, so there's to the best of both worlds!!
> 
> thank you if you've kept up with my ramble thus far, but i will now shut up and let you all enjoy. i personally think this is super cute so far and trust me, i'm going to kill you all with the fluff that is to come. 
> 
> enjoy!!!
> 
> p.s. i'm sorry but not sorry for choosing the cheesiest title ever for this fic

"I need you."

Luke choked on his iced coffee.

He had just walked into Julie's dorm room, iced coffees in hand when she nearly attacked him in the doorway.

" _What_?"

With a small smirk, she backed up, pulling him inside and closing her door.

"I need you. I need your help, actually."

Luke furrowed his eyebrows, but pounced onto her bed anyway like he usually did. He reached out to hand her the iced coffee.

Julie met Luke on her first day of university. She was struggling to find her classroom to Composition 101, when she ran smack into a hard body. The hard body happened to be Luke and he also happened to be carrying an iced coffee. It got all over the two of them, and instead of yelling at him or apologizing, she started crying. He was more freaked out than anyone she had ever seen in her life, and to comfort her, he awkwardly patted her arm and dug out a packet of tissues from his backpack. When she calmed down and realized what happened, she nearly died of mortification. But then she stopped crying and Luke's eyes softened; he asked her what was wrong and once she started talking, she couldn't stop. It just so happened that Luke was also in Composition 101 and the classroom was just to their right.

She was mortified, but he was cute and understanding, and they've been inseparable ever since.

Sure, maybe at one point she thought something more would happen between them. But school kept them busy, and their friendship came first; so, she never made a move, and neither did he.

Instead, they continued to hang out (they ended up having more classes together since they were both in the music program) and once Julie met his friends, and they met her best friend Flynn, the five of them became inseparable. Julie discovered Luke and his friends were in a band; they were trying to build a following and since Flynn was amazing with public relations and social media, she took over as their part-time manager. And Julie started writing songs with the band and she occasionally joined them on stage. They were all thinking it; that Julie should join the band, but it was a big step and no one wanted to bring it up first.

"What do you need me for?" Luke asked. If he weren't so focused on his iced coffee (it was _so_ delicious), he would have noticed she was pacing the small floor of her dorm and chewing nervously on her fingernails. When she didn't immediately reply, he looked up. "Jules, talk to me. What's up?"

She stopped her pacing and moved to stand in front of him. He was gazing at her with soft hazel eyes and she just wanted to melt because of how utterly adorable he looked. "I did a thing," she admitted, but didn't elaborate any further.

"I do a lot of things every day, Jules. You'll need to give me a bit more than that," he replied with a smirk. Julie still appeared uneasy so Luke reached out and tapped her fingers with his in a comforting gesture. "Come on. Did you kill someone? Are we getting rid of a body? I don't care what it is, but you'll have to tell me if I'm going to become an accessory."

His goal was to elicit some type of reaction and he was graced with a small smile. "My Tia has been on my back about not having a boyfriend for a while now, so a while back I told her I had a boyfriend because it's not like she would ever meet him and I could just say we broke up or something," she gushed out in one large breath. Luke blinked, hiding a smirk so she didn't slap him and crawl back into her shell. "But the entire family is getting together for Christmas and she just assumed I was bringing my boyfriend and then when I tried to explain, she mentioned you by name and I just kind of blanked and basically, my whole family thinks you're my boyfriend and you're coming to spend Christmas with me."

Julie expected him to look surprised, or even angry, but definitely horrified. So, she was shocked when he merely took another sip of his iced coffee and smiled at her.

"Cool. When do we leave?"

"Wait — what?"

"I'm assuming we're leaving after exams, right?" He continued on speaking as if she wasn't gaping in his direction. He proceeded to pull out his phone from his front pocket and open his calendar. "My last exam is on the 22nd. Does that work for you?"

Julie blinked. What the hell was happening?

"But — aren't you — Luke, did you _hear_ what I said?"

He looked up at her with teasing eyes. "Yeah, Jules, I did. What about it?"

"And you're okay with that?"

Luke shrugged. "Well, let's weigh it out. Pros: I get to eat delicious food, hang out with my best friend and avoid the Patterson household. Cons: I can't really think of any, can you?"

"Well — I — God, I am so confused right now."

"Don't sweat it, Jules," Luke smiled charmingly and if Julie wasn't at a loss for words already, she definitely was now. "I'm excited. Plus, you know I love spending time with you," he added in a flirty tone.

One problem with Luke? He was unbelievably flirtatious.

Julie doesn't even think he's aware; it's mostly because he's incredibly kind and such a people's person, that his friendly approach comes off flirty. And it normally would be fine. Except he's basically the man of her dreams, and even when he merely smiled at her, her brain short-circuited. So, handling his flirty behaviour when it's directed at her? Honestly, she feels like she needs a crash cart with her at all times.

"But like, they think we're dating, Luke," she clarified because she honestly didn't think he understood what he was getting himself into. She loved her family with all her heart, but they could be incredibly invasive and nosy. It's why she loved them, but also why she despised bringing anyone around. “You’re going to have to act as if you like me.”

His smirk returned; he seemed to be enjoying this way too much. “I _do_ like you, Jules.”

She ignored the butterflies battling to the death under her ribcage.

“Don’t be cute,” she admonished with a huff, “You’ll have to act like you’re in love with me."

“Okay,” he shrugged. Sometimes he was the most carefree, loveable dumbass in the world and it infuriated her to no end. “That doesn’t sound that hard. What’s not to love?”

Julie was starting to get flustered and he was seemingly going along with everything she said, so she didn’t see much of a point to this conversation anymore.

“Okay,” she agreed, nodding. “Then we’ll leave the day after exams. We’ll probably need to set some rules or something, but we have time for that. Deal?”

She held out her hand in between them. Luke glanced at it and then back at her with an amused smile on his lips. He waited a moment before grasping her hand in his, chuckling.

“Yeah, deal.”

When he let go of her hand, he proceeded to flop back on her bed, while she headed straight for the iced coffee she hadn’t gotten a chance to drink yet. “Hey, Luke?” She called out and he hummed in response. “Thank you for this. It means a lot and I appreciate it. And you. I appreciate you.”

Luke pushed himself up on his elbows, shooting her a wickedly bright smile. “Anything for you, Jules. Or should I say muffin?”

“Hell no. Never repeat that again.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

It was very clear who would be wearing the pants during their relationship.

* * *

The flight from New York City to Los Angeles was approximately six hours, which gave Julie and Luke ample time to hammer out the details of their newfound relationship. It also helped to distract Julie from the fact that she was essentially flying a metal death trap; it’s not that she hated flying, it just always made her uneasy. And because it was Christmas time, the flight was crammed. Luke had humbly offered her the window seat while he took the middle; his neighbour ended up being a sweet old man who slept for most of the flight.

“If you squeeze the armrest any harder, you’re going to break your nails. Or a finger.”

Julie relaxed her grip; it was a force of habit. “Sorry,” she replied sheepishly.

“You can squeeze my hand instead if you want,” he offered, turning his palm to face up. It was a tempting offer, but things were already about to get complicated enough, so she needed to keep her head clear.

So, she politely shook her head and spoke instead. “Okay, I need to be distracted. Let’s talk rules.”

“Just the words every man wants to hear,” he quipped sarcastically.

Luke had opted for a very casual airport look. He had his signature orange beanie pulled over his head, with a black hoodie and matching sweatpants; he completed the look with a pair of runners and his backpack. Even though he was dressed as casual as possible, Julie thought he never looked better. She had opted for a casual look too; an NYU hoodie with black leggings and her favourite white converse. Comfort was key on airplanes.

“What, let me guess. You think we should go rogue and forget rules.”

Luke laughed, shooting her a quick look from her left. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“And you think that’s a _good_ idea?”

“Yeah,” he added, turning slightly to face her. “Listen, we don’t need to make this difficult. We should just act normally around each other, maybe a bit more touching here and there, but just keep it overall simple. You just let me know anything you’re uncomfortable with and it’s completely off the table.”

Julie nodded, biting her lip. “Okay, that makes sense. What about our story though? We need a good story."

The smirk returned to his lips. “But we already have the _best_ story. You dumping coffee all over the both of us is really a way to make a first impression.”

“It was _your_ coffee!”

“You ran into me!” He laughed, gently poking her ribs. “And then you started crying, which I will admit, freaked me the hell out. But hey, it all worked out.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “Fine. So, what’s the story? You fell in love with me because I just looked so fabulous crying?”

“Definitely not,” he shot back in a teasing tone. “Keep it simple, Jules. We were friends and things just happened from there. When did you tell your Tia you got a boyfriend?”

“Like four months ago maybe?”

“Perfect,” he agreed. “But seriously Jules, you’ll tell me if you’re uncomfortable, right? I don’t want to do anything you’re not okay with.”

Julie nodded, her heart warming at his wide, worried brown eyes. “Yeah, I’ll tell you. But you have to tell me too. This goes both ways.”

“Please, Julie,” he scoffed, “You could push me in front of a bus and I’d be okay with it.”

She punched at his bicep. “Shut up, you weirdo. I’m serious though. If my family is too much or you’re just not into it anymore, let me know. We’ll shut it down and leave.”

“You worry too much,” he brushed her off, straightening in his seat and putting in an airpod. “It’s cute but don’t worry, I’m going to be the greatest fake boyfriend you’ve ever seen.”

Julie didn’t doubt that for even a second.

* * *

When Julie called her dad to tell him she was bringing her boyfriend home for the holidays this year, he was absolutely ecstatic. He was just so incredibly happy for his daughter and unbelievably excited to meet the man Julie chose. He wasn’t like those dads who were overprotective and tried to scare the boyfriends off; he just genuinely wanted everyone to be happy. And he trusted Julie, and he trusted her to make smart decisions and surround herself with the best of people. She had been at university for three years now after all; if he didn’t trust her now, he never would.

“Your dad’s picking us up?” Luke asked as he and Julie walked through customs. They had picked up their suitcases and were heading out into arrivals.

Julie nodded. “Yeah. He’s excited to meet you. Are you nervous?”

“Not really,” Luke shrugged. “We’ve technically spoken before on FaceTime. And I’m a people person; fathers love me.”

Julie laughed, passing through the doors and maneuvering through the crowd waiting for their arrivals. “Mine definitely will. You two are both dorks.”

“Hey!” Luke called out, genuinely offended. But Julie was too busy hurrying off to the side in the direction of a tall man. Luke assumed it was Julie’s father because she jumped on his unsuspecting back and when he whirled around to see her, there were unshed tears in his eyes.

Julie wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. It always amazed Luke just how tiny she really was. But seeing her bury herself in her father’s chest reminded him all over again. After a moment, she pulled back and swiped at her face. Luke could only assume she teared up a little bit too.

Julie whirled around to face Luke; her nose was red and she looked adorable. She held out a hand for him to take. “Dad, I want you to meet Luke.”

“It’s so nice to officially meet you, Mr. Molina,” Luke greeted him politely. He reached out a hand for him to shake.

“Call me Ray, we’re basically family!” Ray gushed, grabbing Luke’s hand and pulling him in for a hug instead. Something inside Julie started heating up. “I knew I recognized you. We’ve spoken before, haven’t we?”

Luke nodded, a bright smile in his face because he couldn’t hold it back. “Yes, sir.” At Ray’s disapproving look, he stammered on. “I mean Ray, sorry. Force of habit.”

“That’s good,” Ray winked, “You have good manners.” Looking between his daughter and Luke, Ray had never felt happier. “I’m so glad you’re both here. Are you ready to meet the family, Luke? We’re a tad bit wild.”

Julie hopped into the conversation once again. “Don’t worry, I’ve briefed him.”

Luke shared an amused look with Julie. “Yeah, I’m very ready. My family is quite the opposite, so I’m looking forward to some excitement.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Should we get on the road? It’s getting late and you both are probably tired.”

“Exhausted,” Julie huffed, reaching for her suitcase. Ray smacked her hand away and took it upon himself to roll it for her instead. With both hands now suddenly free, she happily slid one into Luke’s and together they followed Ray to the underground parking garage.

She thought it might feel weird, pretending with Luke. But holding his hand felt natural and introducing him to her dad felt easy, almost as if it was meant to be. She knew the dangers of the comfort she was feeling, but she really couldn’t be bothered as she cuddled into Luke’s side when the cold air hit them.

Julie climbed into the backseat with Luke, and it wasn’t long before her head started to feel heavy and she was having trouble keeping her eyelids open. Luke crept a hand along the seat, tapping on her thigh. With a start, she turned to him with tired eyes. He nodded his head in his direction and Julie took that as an invitation for her to slide over and lay her head on his shoulder.

They’d taken naps together before, so this wasn’t unusual for them. They’ve always relied on touch to show their affection; their whole friend group did. It came with the territory of being so comfortable with a person that certain boundaries cease to exist. And her boundaries with Luke were blurred, and it was only getting worse as time passed by.

Julie cuddled into Luke’s side once again. Her head rested on his shoulder and his hand moved to her leg. His touch seemed hesitant as he hovered above her knee but close to her thigh; he obviously wasn’t sure if this would make her uncomfortable and he didn’t want to risk it. Julie grabbed his wrist and set his hand down on her thigh, murmuring a quiet, “It’s okay.” That’s all the assurance he needed.

Luke met Ray’s eyes through the rearview mirror, and Ray smiled fondly.

When they arrived at Julie’s childhood home, Luke gently nudged Julie awake. “Hey, look where we are.”

It took her a moment, but she finally pulled herself away from Luke. The sight of the house in which she grew up in was a sight to behold. She hadn't been back in quite a while (flights weren't cheap and school was killer). But seeing all the lights and decorations littering the house made her heart swell, and for the first time since she arrived, she was genuinely excited for the next few days.

Luke and Ray took care of their suitcases while Julie rushed into the house, revelling in the warmth feeling of home. Everything looked exactly the same, save for the extravagant Christmas tree and decorations; Julie loved it.

"Carlos is sleeping, but you can see him in the morning. I'll make breakfast," Ray told her, as he followed Luke into the house. "I'm sure you're both tired too. Julie, your room is all set up. I'll see you both in the morning, okay? Goodnight."

When Ray was out of sight, Luke took a moment to look around the house. There were a number of decorations, but what really caught his eye were the multiple photo frames scattered around the room. He approached one on a side table; it was a young Julie encased in an older woman's arms. Their resemblance was uncanny, and Julie didn't talk much about her mom, but he knew.

"Is this your mom?" He asked quietly when she came to stand next to him. Julie nodded. "She's beautiful."

"Isn't she?" Julie murmured back. "Come on, let's go to bed." They grabbed their luggage and made their way upstairs. Julie's room looked exactly like Luke expected it to; it was a larger version of her dorm room, complete with soft colours and flower print. "I'm going to take a shower. Make yourself comfortable."

With a sleepy smirk, he dropped his suitcase off to the side and collapsed face first onto her bed. "You know I will," he mumbled into the mattress.

Julie laughed with a roll of her eyes. She quickly dug through her suitcase to pull out the essentials and went across the hall to hope in the shower. There was nothing better than a nice, hot shower after a long and grimy plane ride, and Julie savoured every second. She changed into a pair of pj shorts and a NYU crew neck (she had a lot of NYU clothes).

When she returned to her room, Luke had dozed off.

“Get up,” she ordered as she walked over to his lifeless body. “Go take a shower. You stink.”

She poked at his cheek and he groaned. “You love it,” he mumbled into the pillow.

“Debatable.”

With another loud groan, he went over to his suitcase to grab his essentials. While she waited, she turned on her television and continued her New Girl rewatch (one of the best shows in existence). It was also a bad habit of hers to fall asleep watching Netflix on her laptop, but since she had her TV once again, that would do.

When Luke returned, his hair was all wet and messy and so _adorable_. He was wearing an old band t-shirt and a pair of plaid pj bottoms, and he loudly dropped down beside Julie. He was so exhausted after travelling all day (not to mention the incessant studying/cramming he'd been doing the entire week for exams). All he wanted was to pass out and wake up the next morning feeling well rested and prepared to spend Christmas Eve with the Molina clan.

"This okay?" He mumbled to Julie, but he was nearly clocked out. While he was laying down on his back, Julie was sitting up with her back rested against the headboard. She was mindlessly scrolling through her Instagram feed, but her eyelids were starting to droop.

"Yeah, of course," Julie replied, reaching over to set her phone down on her bedside table. “How do you think this is going so far?”

Luke had his eyes closed, but he wasn’t quite asleep yet. “Good,” he muttered, “Your dad is amazing.”

“Yeah, he is,” Julie smiled proudly. She shimmied down in her bed after turning off the lamp and kept a respectable distance between her and Luke. They'd taken naps together before, but they'd never officially shared a bed for an entire night. If he or any of the boys stayed over, they always built a fort of blankets on the floor. She just wanted to make sure he was comfortable. "Are you okay? Is this weird?"

He let out a sleepy chuckle. "It's not weird for me, Jules." After a moment, he turned to face her with a serious expression. "Is it weird for you? Want me to move to floor?"

"No!" She objected, louder and quicker than she expected. Luke seemed to relax. "No, I'm fine. I just want to make sure you're comfortable with this."

Luke's sleepy smile returned to his lips. "I'm always comfortable with you; you don't have to worry about me."

"But I do," she added, a knowing lilt in her tone.

He rolled his eyes lightly before settling back down comfortably. "We should sleep. Big day tomorrow."

"Yeah," Julie sighed. She wasn't sure what the protocol here was; does she face him to sleep or does she turn away? Admittedly, it may be a bit challenging to sleep when staring at his serene, adorable face, but she decided to face him anyway.

Luke popped open an eye, and a warm smile appeared on his lips. "Goodnight, Jules."

He reached out a hand between them. It was a small, comforting gesture but that was Luke. He would do anything for the people he loved and it warmed Julie's heart to know she was one of those people. Her fingers met his and she intertwined their fingers gently.

"Goodnight, Luke."


	2. christmas eve.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's christmas eve and luke and julie attend the molina family gathering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfghjkl, i am soooo sorry this took long
> 
> actually, did it take that long? i'm not really sure, i've been mentally checked out since last week due to assignments and final exams. on the bright side, i'm finally done school for three weeks and i plan to write as much as i possibly can!!
> 
> also, okay, so i'm not completely satisfied with how this chapter turned out. i was trying to go in a certain direction but it was just such a stressful week, that nothing was working and i feel like half of this chapter is just blah bc i just wanted to write something. so i do apologize if it isn't the best or what you were hoping for, i hope it's still cute enough.
> 
> my goal is to post the last chapter by christmas (but i do work in a grocery story and we are going on lockdown again, so i may be slightly busy) so the last chapter might be posted slightly after christmas, but i promise i will work my ass off to get it to you all asap!!
> 
> anyway, i hope you all enjoy!

It was very rare that Julie slept through the entire night.

Ever since she started university, she'd been living off caffeine and stress-induced meltdowns. It was either she fell asleep late, or she couldn't even sleep at all due to the stress of everything she had to get done. If she had an especially stressful week, her body was incapable of letting her fall asleep; she just stayed up for hours with a mind that wouldn't stop racing. It was awful. But because of this, she learned to function with only a few hours of sleep.

So, she wasn't the least bit surprised when she woke up to a dim glow shining through her blinds.

Julie was on her side, facing her window and there was an arm slung across her waist. She could feel Luke's breath ghosting against the back of her neck and goosebumps instantly prickled her skin. Reaching for her phone on the bedside table, she noted it was 6:16 in the morning; what with her sleeping habits, she wasn't surprised her body was waking up so early even though she was absolutely exhausted last night.

This is normal for her, but for Luke? Not so much.

He groaned when he felt her stretch beneath his arm. Luke knew Julie well and he knew her weird habits in waking up at odd times during the night. He could only assume it was some ungodly time in the morning.

"Stop moving," he moaned, turning further in her direction. He crowded her space, shoving his face halfway onto her pillow and into her curls.

Julie giggled softly. “But I’m already awake. My body hates me,” she added. “You have to wake up in solidarity.”

"No," he refused, squeezing his eyes closed tighter in hopes it would help him fall asleep again.

With Luke moving so close to her, her body was nearly falling off her side of the bed. "Luke!" She squeaked, as she started to slide, "I'm falling off!"

Luke grunted in response, tightening the arm over her waist and pulling her tightly against his chest. She became distinctly aware of how close together their bodies were, and it only made her heart rate increase at an embarrassing speed. She hoped he couldn't hear it. "It's too early," he whined in a low voice and Julie could literally feel his lips against her shoulder, and god, was it getting _hot_ in here? “Go back to sleep.”

But Julie knew the chances of her falling back asleep were extremely slim. Her mind didn’t shut down just because she wanted it to. Minutes passed by and all she could think about was the absolute chaos that tonight would be. Maybe some good chaos, but it was too early to tell.

“Jules, _shut up_ ,” he groaned and Julie squeaked in indignation. “I can hear your mind from here.”

Julie frowned, wiggling in his grasp, but he didn’t let up. “You know I can’t sleep after I’ve woken up.”

“Nonsense,” he murmured quietly. His hand that was resting over her waist started caressing her skin lightly. “Is this okay?” He asked sleepily. Julie’s eyes closed softly and she nodded her head. “Just focus on my breathing and clear your mind.”

It was a rare sense of relaxation for Julie, especially in the morning. Spending time with Luke was one of her favourite things in the world, and she trusted him wholeheartedly. So, if he told her to shut up and breathe, that’s exactly what she was going to do. She listened to the change in his breathing and assumed he fell asleep again. She didn’t get a chance to think much about it because soon, she was dozing off right next to him.

And sure, maybe she dreamt about Luke. But he doesn’t need to know that.

* * *

The second time she woke up that morning, it was to gentle pokes on her cheek.

She swatted Luke’s hand away. But she knew if _Luke_ was awake, then it was late enough that she should be awake too.

“It's Christmas Eve! Don't be a Grinch."

Julie turned her face in the opposite direction with a groan; she was just so relaxed. "Your existence is bothering me."

Luke chuckled, leaning over to poke at her cheek again. "How am I supposed to be your boyfriend if you spend all of Christmas in bed?"

Julie noted he said 'boyfriend' instead of 'fake boyfriend' and any sleepiness lingering in her brain dissipated immediately.

She turned to him with a sleepy smile. "Christmas in bed sounds really inviting actually."

Julie noticed he didn't immediately reply; instead, his eyes darted all around her face. She merely thought he wasn't as awake and perky as he seemed to be, but truthfully, Luke was mesmerized by how effortlessly beautiful she looked in the morning. This was unfamiliar territory for them; they spent a lot of time together, but never like this. And Luke was handling it with his usual collected and suave self, but even he could lose his cool.

“Luke?” She asked tentatively. “You there?”

Luke shook his head, forcing a smirk on his lips so he didn’t show his embarrassment at getting caught staring.

“Of course,” he replied, turning away and hopping off the bed. “What’s the dress code for today? Gala? Casual? Santa suit for the kiddies?”

Julie sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard. "Does Luke 'allergic to sleeves' Patterson, even own a gala worthy suit?"

"You wouldn't be able to handle me in a suit and tie," Luke replied in a cocky tone, "I'd be irresistible."

Julie rolled her eyes, but laughed anyway (it was good for his ego). "Oh! Actually, you should wear a Christmas sweater."

"Is that a tradition or something?"

To avoid answering immediately, Julie slipped off the bed and made her way over to her suitcase. She sat down beside it to make rifling through it easier, but Luke was right there next to her. He knew Julie and her tells far better than she thought he did. He reached out a hand to set it over hers, and she stopped making a mess of her clothes.

"My mom used to make my brother and I wear Christmas sweaters every year. The rest of the family usually joined in, but after she... they stopped," Julie explained quietly. She kept her brown eyes on their linked hands; she's sure if she actually looked at Luke, she wouldn't be able to handle his sad puppy dog eyes. "Carlos and I still wear one every year. You don't have to if you don't want to, of course. I don't think I've ever seen you in anything Christmas related, so please don't feel like you ha—"

Luke squeezed her hand, scoffing. "Please. I am going to _rock_ that sweater.”

“You have one?” Julie raised an eyebrow.

Luke returned her look with a sheepish one of his own. “Early Christmas present from Reggie and I didn't have the heart to not bring it with me."

Julie sat and watched as he ruffled through his suitcase. He pulled out a green oversized sweater, with red sleeves. When he turned the sweater to face her, she noticed the giant Rudolph in the centre of the shirt, with a 3D red nose protruding from the sweater. Julie immediately burst into laughter, and Luke was so embarrassed, he couldn't help but laugh too.

"My dad is going to love that sweater!"

A goofy grin spread across Luke's features. "Speaking of, we should probably get downstairs for breakfast soon. Your dad's going to get some ideas." Luke's eyebrows quirked and his grin was replaced with a smirk. " _Indecent_ ideas."

"Don't be gross," Julie chastised. She was currently hiding in her closet and browsing through her Christmas collection. She grabbed her favourite based on the classic Home Alone movie (it said "Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal" and yes it was her favourite, but it also used to be her moms, so she loved it even more). "I'm going to change!" She called out to Luke as she moved to exit her room.

Clearly Luke didn't need the reminder as he already was stripped of his old band t-shirt right there in the middle of her bedroom.

Julie considered herself to be quite mature for her age. She had to be, what with moving across the country for school by herself (except for Flynn). And she'd seen shirtless boys before, especially _Luke_. He and the boys had habits of losing articles of clothing, especially when it got hot during rehearsals. She'd had one too many of Alex's hoodies thrown into her face (it made for a good pillow for those late night rehearsals though).

So, seeing Luke now shouldn't have phased her.

She'll deny it to the grave, but her gaze lingered and she accidentally ran into the corner of her bed while trying to leave the room.

"Shit!" Julie cursed, hunching to grab her foot quickly to soothe the pain. Her gaze returned to Luke who momentarily forgot all about his sweater to make sure she was alright instead. His naked torso was much too close and her brain was losing function. Julie thought he asked her if she was okay, because he was looking at her expectantly, but she felt like she wasn't even in control of her own body anymore. So, she mumbled a quick, "I'm fine," and hobbled off to the bathroom to change.

Immediately, she splashed cold water on her face.

"Come on, Julie," she snapped at her own reflection in the mirror. "Get your shit together!"

Rolling her eyes at her own immaturity, she busied herself with changing into the Christmas sweater and her favourite pair of black ripped jeans. They were never the dressy type for the holidays; comfort is key when you're basically eating your body weight in food and desserts. And not that her jeans were particularly the most comfortable pair of bottoms she owned, but they were super cute (and yeah, maybe she was lowkey trying to impress Luke). When she returned to her room, Luke was nowhere to be found but his suitcase was closed neatly and her bed was miraculously made up (she didn't even know he knew how to make a bed — she'd been in his room _many_ times, he was a very messy human being).

When she strolled into the kitchen, Luke was sitting at the island with Carlos and her dad was at the stove flipping pancakes; they were all laughing and her heart was genuinely threatening to busrt from the adorableness of it all. She was also able to observe Luke is his _fantastic_ Reggie-inspired Christmas sweater, and god, how is it possible for someone to look _so good_ in such an ugly sweater? She would never figure it out, but she would have a great time trying but ogling him.

"Mija!" Her father called out, reaching out to give her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Good morning; how'd you sleep?"

"Great," she replied, pointedly avoiding Luke's eyes. Instead, she looked over at her little brother, who adorned a smirk and was anything but _little_ anymore. "What the hell? When did you get so tall?"

Carlos hopped off his stool, happily wrapping his sister in a hug. "Did you shrink?"

"No, I didn't shrink!" Julie scoffed, pushing him off her. "I was just expecting to see my annoying, little brother, not this tall stranger. Is that a _mustache_?"

Carlos returned to his seat, stealing a pancake off the plate his father was replenishing. "I was also never expecting your lonely ass to bring home a boyfriend, but yet, here we are."

Julie's eyes narrowed and she snatched the remainder of his pancake. "So, you're definitely still annoying."

"Kids, behave," Ray chastised, placing a plate of steaming pancakes before them. "We're not trying to scare Luke away after one day."

Luke chuckled respectfully. "Oh, don't worry about that. This is still ten times more preferable to what I'd be experiencing at home."

Julie had moved to take the empty seat beside Luke, and she turned to him with soft eyes. He generally wasn't very comfortable talking about his family or his home life, but he'd already made a few comments since they'd arrived last night. It made her happy he felt comfortable enough to do so, but it still saddened her. She squeezed his knee with her hand and nudged him with her shoulder; she just wanted him to know she was there for him, always. His bright smile in her direction notified her that he knew.

"You might not be saying that when you meet the rest of the family soon," Ray replied, chuckling. He was laughing but the entire Molina clan knew it was not a laughing matter; Luke would probably get eaten alive.

"Steer clear of Tia Maria," Carlos told Luke through a mouthful of pancakes. "She's really handsy with newcomers."

Luke laughed nervously, but nodded in Carlos's direction. "Thanks for the tip."

"Oh, this is going to be so good," Carlos chuckled, enjoying the mortified expression that slowly formed on Luke's expression. "Dad, where's my camera?"

* * *

The remainder of their afternoon was spent in a very relaxing nature. With holiday music blasting, Ray attempted some holiday baking, which didn't go according to plan. He eventually became so exasperated that he threw the burnt cookies in the sink, grabbed his keys and went off to the grocery store. Julie thought it was adorable.

She spent her afternoon watching Christmas movies with Luke (and Carlos for a bit).

It was an automatic response for Luke to wrap his arm around her shoulders when they settled into the couch. It was incredibly convincing for Carlos, but the truth was, it was pretty normal behaviour for Luke and Julie. Every time Julie stood up to check on her dad or grab a snack, Luke made a show of how much her departure bothered him. She knew Luke could be incredibly needy sometimes, so she wasn't surprised every time he pouted when she left his embrace. He only looked satisfied when she sat back down and cuddled into his chest.

She wanted to point out his acting was spectacular. But they cuddled far too often for his actions to be considered pretending.

And now that Julie was here, exhibiting this behaviour in front of her family, she wasn't sure what to think about it.

Eventually, she told Luke she had to go to her room to wrap her Secret Santa present; she told him he could stay if he wanted because he had fallen asleep and currently looked like a sleepy newborn puppy. Carlos had also fallen asleep, so Julie draped a blanket over him on her way upstairs.

Julie's Secret Santa ironically ended up being her Tia Victoria; and really, what do you get a woman who has done everything and _more_ for you? It was a difficult decision, but she ended up buying her a beautiful Pandora necklace and some essentials like bath bombs and skin care products. Julie was in the middle of wrapping her box when Luke entered, rubbing his sleepy eyes adorably. He sat down on the corner of her bed and watched silently.

"You're doing it wrong."

Julie looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, excuse me?"

"Your wrapping technique is wrong," Luke repeated, moving in her direction and quite literally bodychecking her out of the way. " _Technique_ , if you can even call it that," he teased.

Julie was nothing short of offended, but as she saw him expertly wrap her box in less than three minutes, she was absolutely dumbfounded. "What the hell? How do you know how to wrap so well?"

"It's a talent," he shrugged, handing her the box. "Weird talent."

Julie shot him a slightly impressed look. "Thanks, I guess?"

"Yeah, you're welcome," he smirked. Julie didn't realize how close they were standing until she noticed his eyes darting nervously around her face. "I hope it's okay, but I'm only giving you your present tomorrow."

Julie's eyebrows furrowed together and she automatically took a step back. "Gifts? We didn't say anything about gifts!"

Luke's smirk widened. "Don't stand there and act like you don't have a present for me stashed somewhere in this room. I know you too well, Molina."

Julie's affronted expression dropped from her face and was replaced with an annoyed one. "How'd you know?"

"I just do," he shrugged. "Plus, you love me far too much to not get me anything."

Julie's head tipped back in laughter and she hit Luke's shoulder playfully.

It was a completely normal reaction from her, but somehow, Luke was picturing it in slow motion and he was mesmerized by how beautiful she looked when she laughed. A cautious smile spread across his features. His brain was feeling confused and overwhelmed, but he knew one thing; Julie was incredibly important to him. He thought he knew just how important, but now he was starting to question everything.

It was starting to mess with his head. And when she looked at him like _that_? He couldn't focus.

A knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry to interrupt," Ray informed them, a knowing smile on his lips. "We're leaving in five. Meet you both downstairs?"

Julie stepped closer to the door and in turn, closer to Luke. His brain was already short circuiting, and having Julie pressed against him with her chin on his shoulder was _not_ helping matters. "Yeah, we'll be right there, Dad!"

Luke could only smile nervously in acknowledgment.

"Are you ready to meet the family, babe?"

Luke grabbed onto Julie's desk chair to contain himself. "I know you're all trying to scare me. But seriously, your family can't be that bad."

Julie's eyes widened slightly and she couldn't help but laugh at Luke's sweet, but naive comment.

"Oh, honey," Julie said in a falsely sympathetic voice; she gently grabbed Luke's chin in her hand and brought her face closer. "You're so adorably naive."

Luke's eyes focused on her amused face, because if he looked down to where she was holding him, he might do something stupid, like accidentally tell her he's in love with her. Honestly, his brain was having a breakdown. They're friends; that's it, right? She asked him to be here, as a friend, that's all. So, why couldn't his heart stop beating in overdrive every time she touched him?

Julie could see the conflict reflecting in his eyes and she genuinely had no idea what it pertained to. She wasn't surprised she couldn't stop touching him; honestly, her body found every excuse to be as close to him as possible. And she knew Luke was a very touch-oriented person, so she didn't think he'd mind. But looking into his eyes now, she wondered if she was being a bit much.

Julie dropped her hand and played it off like it was nothing, choosing instead to tuck her curls behind her ear. She reached behind her and grabbed her present and her purse. "You ready?" She asked softly.

Luke blinked. For some reason, the vibe changed and the room felt different, awkward almost. That's not what he wanted.

"Am I ready to charm the hell out of your family?" He asked with a smirk. "So ready."

Julie laughed and Luke felt relaxed again.

"Julie! Anytime now; preferably before I go off to college!"

Leave it to Carlos to spoil the moment.

* * *

The drive over to Tia Victoria's was quiet. Julie snuck into the backseat with Luke, and unlike the last time they were in there, Julie didn't climb over to cuddle with Luke (maybe later). Instead, Luke laid out his hand in the middle seat, palm up. He left it there in case she wanted to hold his hand, especially considering how weird things got before.

Julie happily accepted his invitation and Luke tried to hide the wide smile he couldn't control on his face.

When Ray knocked on the door, it only took literally two seconds for Tia Victoria to open the door. Julie cringed; it was starting already.

Tia Victoria's entire face lit up like a Christmas tree and she immediately said some very fast and very Spanish words that Luke didn't understand. Before she stepped aside to let them in, her eyes landed on Julie with a slightly devious smile. "Ah, ah, ah," she pointed up the door frame and they all noticed the mistletoe that was hanging. "It's tradition."

"What?" Julie snorted. Understandably, it was cold and she just wanted to get inside. It also dawned on her that the appearance of mistletoe meant the possibility of kissing Luke. For the first time. In front of her entire family.

God, she really didn't think this through.

"It's tradition," Tia Victoria explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "You can't break tradition."

"Tradition since when?" Carlos questioned, looking at his Tia with an unconvinced expression.

Tia Victoria's eyes snapped to him, cold and deadly. "Since I said so," she replied in an even, emotionless tone.

Carlos didn't look phased, and he didn't look convinced either. "Yeah, I'm good," he laughed, ducking under Tia Victoria's arm before she could stop him. She only rolled her eyes.

"Me too," Ray added. At Tia Victoria's unimpressed look, he leaned in to kiss her cheek in greeting and she satisfactorily let him through.

Tia Victoria's gaze returned to Luke and Julie, staring expectantly.

Luke turned to look at Julie, but she was already looking at him. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to kiss her because they hadn't gotten the chance to talk about it yet, and oh god, what if she isn't okay with it? Luke hadn't even entered the house yet and he was already panicking.

Julie could clearly see the nervousness in his expression and she was already annoyed that they were both feeling uncomfortable.

To take the pressure off Luke and satisfy her Tia, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Luke's cheek in a sweet and simple kiss. Almost immediately, Luke relaxed and he felt like he could breathe again.

With a pointed look in Tia Victoria's direction, Julie sassed, "Is that what you were looking for?"

"No," she replied in a pointed tone, "But it'll do for now. Come on in kids."

Julie rolled her eyes, but pulled Luke inside with her. She set both of their coats in the closet and added her present into the ever growing pile. "I am so sorry," she mumbled to Luke, but he only shook his head with an amused smile.

Turning around, she happily stepped into her Tia's embrace. "Hi mija, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Tia," Julie replied, and without even trying, her eyes watered slightly. Yes, her Tia could be a bit much at times, but she'd done so much for Julie and her family and she truly loved her with her entire heart. "Okay, Tia, you'll have to let go if you want to meet Luke," she laughed.

That immediately got Tia Victoria's attention, as she released Julie and turned to face Luke. His nervousness was completely gone, so he dazzled her with a charming smile. "Hi, I'm Luke. It's really nice to meet you. Julie talks about you _all_ the time."

Tia Victoria shot Julie an impressed side glance. "Charming, polite _and_ a nice smile." Luke held out his hand politely, but just like Ray had done when they met, she grabbed it and pulled him into a hug. "We hug in this family, Luke. It's nice to meet you."

The wide smile on Luke's face nearly melted Julie's heart right there and then.

"Come mijos, the family's been waiting for you!"

As they're walking into the living room, Luke grabbed Julie's wrist to call for her attention.

"Hey, so, that kiss thing," he started nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "What's the protocol? Like I said before, I don't want to do anything you aren't comfortable with. But I just want to know, because obviously I wouldn't mind kissing you." As soon as the words left his mouth, he flinched; Julie's smile only grew wider. "God, that is _not_ that I meant. Well, I'm not _not_ saying I wouldn't kiss you either but — I'm so confused. Julie, put me out of my misery."

Julie opened her mouth to answer, but she was yanked into the living room by Tia Victoria.

"Look who's here!"

* * *

Carlos, Ray, and especially Julie thought there was absolutely no way Luke would be able to meet the entire family in one sitting and live to tell the tale.

But boy, were they wrong.

When Tia Victoria pulled Julie into the living room, she was only able to latch onto Luke so he could suffer along with her. As she greeted all her relatives, she fell into a rhythm of introducing Luke. "It's so nice to see you again! I want you to meet my boyfriend Luke!" She repeated those words over and over until she worked through all the old timers and found her cousins seated in the family room.

But her aunts and uncles hadn't seen her since she left for New York and they needed more of her. So, she found herself and Luke back in the living room where they were bombarded with questions. Luke took it like a champ, answering questions and speaking in the animated and excited way only he knew how. Even when they drilled him with questions regarding his major and how he intended to live the rest of his days, he didn't break. _Even_ through the slightly judgy looks when he mentioned his band, he didn't flinch and neither did his smile. The only thing that got her through it was Luke's warm hand in hers; she squeezed it every time one of her relatives asked a personal or unnecessary question. Sometimes Luke laughed, but he honestly handled it like she'd never imagined.

Julie thought the family would let up during dinner, but of course, she was wrong. She frequently found herself squeezing her silverware a bit too hard. She loved her family with her entire heart; but they could be so nosy sometimes. She just didn't understand why all these questions were necessary. While she was planning their quick escape as soon as dinner finished, Luke's hand rested on her knee in hopes to calm her. It worked for about five seconds until she started getting jittery that Luke was _touching_ her.

As soon as they were excused from the table, she grabbed his hand and led him to another quiet room.

"Oh my _God_ ," Julie exclaimed exasperatedly. "What the hell was that? I am so sorry, Luke. I was expecting them to be annoying and intrusive, but I wasn't expecting them to ask so many damn questions! I am _so_ sorry."

Julie was pacing the floor because she genuinely felt horrible, but Luke couldn't help but laugh. He perched himself against the edge of the desk and grabbed Julie's hands as she walked past him again. "Julie," he breathed out quietly. She finally stopped and looked down into his calm hazel eyes. "Relax, okay? That wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"The point is you shouldn't have to handle it," Julie replied, attempting to pull away from his grasp.

Luke didn't allow that and pulled her closer until she rested in between his knees. "To be honest, I didn't totally hate it." At Julie's confused look, he continued. "I've never been the boyfriend anyone's brought home to meet their family. Not like this anyway. It was nice."

Julie could feel her heart physically melting through her chest.

"Well, they loved you," she murmured in response. His eyes were much too captivating. "And anyone would be lucky to take you home. To meet their family, obviously."

Her cheeks coloured at the insinuation, but Luke was hooked now. "Even you?"

Julie wasn't sure how to answer that. "You're here, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Luke replied quietly.

The moment was serene. She was trapped by his intense gaze, and this time, it didn't feel awkward; it felt right and she really didn't want to look away.

But she made the mistake of momentarily forgetting she was in a house full of her family members, so one of them was bound to ruin the moment. And she wasn't in the least bit surprised that it was Tia Victoria.

"Oops!" She interrupted, looking the least bit apologetic. "Sorry for interrupting my loves, but we're going to exchange gifts now. Some of your cousins want to leave."

Julie stepped away from Luke, but kept her hand intertwined with his. "That's okay, Tia."

As she pulled Luke along to exit the room, Tia Victoria didn't move out of their way. Her eyes flicked upwards and that's when Julie and Luke noticed _another_ mistletoe hanging off the door frame.

"Where the hell did all this mistletoe come from?" Julie exclaimed exasperatedly. Her gaze landed on her Tia, who looked back at her smugly. She winked at the two of them and walked away with a knowing smirk. "This family, honestly..." Julie mumbled under her breath.

Suddenly, all the awkwardness they banished earlier came rushing back and Julie was left staring at Luke while she bit her lip nervously.

"Should we just..."

Julie's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at Luke's suggestion. "You want to?"

Luke's cheeks became an instant shade of red and he pulled on the hair at the back of his head. "Uh — well, I just — I mean, it's mistletoe. It's a tradition thing, right?"

"Yeah, technically."

"And _technically_ , we'd be rejecting traditional norms if we didn't kiss under the mistletoe, right?"

Julie's eyes widened, but she couldn't help the surprised smile that crept onto her lips.

Did Luke actually _want_ to kiss her?

Jesus Christ, she was going to combust into flame right here and now.

"I mean — technically, you're right."

When she noticed him start to lean in, she genuinely thought she would do something unbelievable like throw up or something. But Luke stopped before it even began.

"I'm sorry," he shook his head and Julie nearly died of mortification. "I just need to hear you say it. I don't want to kiss you unless I know for sure you're okay with it." Looking at her through hooded eyelids, he quietly added, "And that you actually want it."

The fact that he was so dead set on having her clear and concise consent made him even more unbelievably attractive to her.

She was even more surprised in herself when the following words flew out of her mouth seconds after he spoke. "I want you to kiss me, Luke."

He didn't need to be told twice.

His hand snuck up to cradle her cheek before he leaned in the rest of the way. He pressed his lips against hers softly; he didn't want to overwhelm her or scare her off. But when Julie pressed back, rising on her toes, his other hand came up to cradle the other side of her face. It was a relatively quick kiss, but it was their first, and it meant absolutely everything.

When Julie's eyes flickered back open, Luke was already staring at her. He wasn't exactly sure what to say or do now.

Maybe that's why you don't kiss your best friends?

But regardless, he didn't regret it for a second.

"Oh, gross!" Their moment was once against cut short by Carlos and his retching sounds. "I'm trying to keep dinner down, thank you very much!"

Luke let out a chuckle while Julie's response consisted of stepping into Luke's chest and using it to hide her absolutely flaming face. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and revelled in the warmness.

"If you two are done, we're exchanging presents now. I'll just need a moment; need to rinse my eyes out with holy water."

* * *

The rest of their night progressed smoothly. After exchanging gifts, the adults engaged in some very heated card games, while the cousins busted out the board games. It was refreshing for both Luke and Julie to not have to think. They didn't have to think about their kiss or what it _actually_ meant. When playing board games, the only thing you're focused on, is winning (in Julie's case) and having a good time (in Luke's case).

Luke knew Julie was competitive; they've had many game nights of their own. But seeing her get competitive with her family, who are _just_ as competitive, was something else. He did his best to keep up during their game of monopoly, but there were so many different rules and interesting deals among them, that he eventually just gave up. It was only when Julie caught Carlos skimming bills from the bank that he tuned back into the game. He only did so because Julie launched herself across the table at her brother and all Luke could was grab her around the waist and pull her into his lap as she fought him off.

"Jesus Christ Jules," he muttered under his breath, fighting her flailing limbs.

To say the least, their game ended after that.

While some cousins left for the night, Luke and Julie found themselves cuddling on the couch while Elf played on television.

"I knew you were competitive, but _shit_ Julie," Luke laughed under his breath. Julie's lead was tucked under his chin and he could feel her body vibrating with giggles.

"Monopoly just brings out something primal in me. I'm sorry you had to see that."

Luke laughed. "I'm just glad we didn't get to see what kind of damage you would have done to Carlos."

Julie turned her body so she could look up at him. "Okay, be totally honest with me." Luke momentarily froze, thinking she was going to address their (very real, not pretend) kiss earlier. "How was today? How do you feel? Do you want to call it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Luke breathed out in relief. He shot her a comforting smile and adorably pulled her closer. "I definitely don't want to call it. I'm having fun, especially with you."

Julie's cheeks reddened, but she didn't look away. "I like having you here."

Luke's heart fluttered.

"And uh — that kiss earlier," Julie mentioned, now pointedly avoiding his gaze. "That was, um — that was because of the mistletoe, right? And because we're — uh, you know."

Luke held her gaze for a few moments before replying. "Yeah, it was the mistletoe. Couldn't break a tradition."

Truth was, they both knew they were lying; they just didn't know the other was too.

It was around this time when the adults decided to bust out the _adult_ drinks. And while Luke had been to his fair share of frat parties and keggers, he was here to impress Julie's family, so he politely declined any drink that was offered to him. Julie didn't seem to exude the same self-control and she happily downed three tequila shots (she only drank half the tequila shots Tia Victoria did).

He'd seen Julie drunk before, but this time, all she wanted to do was sleep. She ended up falling asleep against Luke's chest and when it was time to leave, he pulled her along in her zombie state. He thanked Tia Victoria profusely and bid goodnight to the rest of the family. He noticed the way Tia Victoria's gaze lingered on him and he laced up Julie's boots and helped her with her coat. When they got into the backseat, she didn't even try to stay on her side; she stayed glued to his side until they got home.

"Thank you for everything today, I had a great night," Luke told Ray politely. Luke had an arm wrapped around Julie's waist, as she was still half asleep, but he wanted to express his gratitude before he retired to bed for the night.

"There's no need to thank me," he replied, glancing at Julie. "I should be thanking you. It's so refreshing to see her so happy. And I think it's because of you."

Luke couldn't stop blushing if he tried. "Uh, thank you, sir. Your daughter is amazing. And so incredibly talented. Really, I'm the lucky one."

Ray's smile was so wide, it almost hurt just looking at it. "I'm glad you two have each other. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Luke."

Happy with how the night ended, Luke pulled Julie up the stairs to her room; he was basically carrying her at this point. "Come on, my little zombie," he mumbled, swinging her bedroom door open. As soon as she looked at her bed, she flopped down, face first.

Luke chuckled and scratched the crown of his head. He judged her side until she rolled over, groaning. He tried not to bother her too much as he took off her boots, but she was incredibly ticklish and he narrowly missed getting nailed in the face. "Jules, just work with me a little bit, please."

As soon as her boots were off, she wrestled with the covers to get underneath them.

He couldn't imagine sleeping in jeans was particularly comfortable but Julie didn't look too preoccupied, as she seemed to have already dozed off peacefully. He wasn't about to go in the same direction so he changed out of his jeans and into his pj bottoms, and _finally_ ditched his Rudolph sweater.

" _Lukeeeee_ ," Julie whined, pulling back the covers on his side of the bed. "I need my cuddle buddy."

Seeing both sleepy and drunk Julie at once was hilariously adorable. He forgot all about throwing on a shirt and instead, climbed into bed. Julie immediately shuffled over to him, like moth to a flame. He reached over to turn off the lamp and soon, they were engulfed in darkness.

"Thank you for today," she mumbled and Luke realized her face was buried in his neck because he could feel her lips against it. "You mean so much to me."

Luke's heart was accelerating, but he hoped she was too sleepy to notice.

She was so quiet, he nearly thought she had dozed off again.

"I didn't kiss you because of the mistletoe. I kissed you because I've wanted you to kiss me for months now."

Luke's eyes widened and he genuinely thought his heart was going to stop from how hard it was beating. He listened to Julie's soft snores and knew she was asleep once and for all.

"I wanted to kiss you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, again, i'm so sorry if this sucked!! 
> 
> i originally wanted to include more one-on-one encounters with her family, including her cousins but it just didn't happen that way. i'm sort of glad though, because i can use that for the next chapter!! (i definitely want to include a scene where they explain how they met bc ugh they're adorable)
> 
> this is also me trying segue-way luke and julie to realize they're actually in love with each other, so yeah, stay tuned for that.
> 
> i'm also sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes bc it's 1:43am and i am so so so tired, so editing was kind of a blur. 
> 
> anyway, i hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> i'll see you soon for the last chapter.
> 
> stay safe everyone!! x
> 
> (and if i don't see yall before then, merry christmas ya filthy animals!!)


	3. christmas day.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's christmas day and luke is not sure how to handle julie's drunken confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE
> 
> shit, it's been a minute. i don't even know where to begin, so i'll say happy new year!! (i know it's been six days and the world is ending... AGAIN)
> 
> i also want to apologize (i've been told i apologize too much on my notes, but I CAN'T HELP IT) because this took so long. the original goal was to get it up on christmas day but then my province went into lockdown and like i'm sure i've mentioned so many times it's now become annoying, i work in a grocery store so it was basically all hands on deck. 
> 
> so, i really appreciate everyone's patience and sweet comments. i try to reply to every single one since you all took the time and effort to leave something nice!! i also want to thank you all for reading thus far, and i really hope you enjoy this final chapter. i made it extra long to make it up to you all, so i'll stop rambling now so you all can enjoy it!!
> 
> hope this brings you back to the sweet feeling of christmas because real life sets back in (if it hasn't already)
> 
> p.s. i apologize if it is a tad ooc but i wanted to add in a small juke fight. enjoy!!!

One would think after the interesting (inebriated) night Julie had the previous day, she would be exceptionally tired the following morning. Or at least hungover.

You would think.

Instead, she was wide awake at 7:51 in the morning and literally vibrating with joy. It was Christmas Day, after all.

She glanced over at Luke, sprawled out across _her_ pillow. His mouth was wide open and she thought he looked absolutely adorable. Not that he didn’t always (because he did, damn him) but especially right now in this moment.

So, naturally, she had to disturb his peace.

Julie expertly jumped on top of him, bouncing awkwardly when she landed against his bony hips.

She ignored the fact he wasn't wearing a shirt. She couldn't remember why he wasn't wearing a shirt, but she didn't want to make it weird by mentioning it, so she opted to just ignore it altogether. Plus, it wasn't the first time she'd seen him shirtless; the boys all had that habit.

Luke let out an instant groan and his hand reached out blindly to grab onto Julie's waist. She didn't let up as she lightly slapped his cheeks, then moved onto pulling his hair.

"Julie," he moaned, turning his face further into the pillow. "What the _hell_?"

"It's Christmas!" Julie shouted, leaning down so she was yelling directly in his ear. "Wake up, it's Christmas!"

Luke sighed, peaked an eye open and finally turned back to face her. "How are you coherent right now? You passed out so hard last night."

"To be honest, I don't remember anything after that first tequila shot," she explained, and due to her Christmas excitement, she didn't notice the way Luke stiffened underneath her or the way his eyebrows furrowed. "Did I do anything embarrassing?"

His mind was running a mile a minute, wondering if he should mention her words from last night or not. But looking up at her excited expression, he didn't feel like ruining things by getting serious (maybe later).

"I wouldn't say _embarrassing_ ," he teased, stretching his arms above his head. "The table dancing was pretty entertaining. You also professed your love for me, and that was cool. Although, your family was very confused, considering we're already supposed to be in love."

Julie's smile dimmed. "You're not funny, Luke."

"I'm not trying to be," he shrugged. It was hard for him to keep a straight face, but her current priceless expression made it worth it. "It was really cute though. Tequila makes you chatty."

Julie rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

She was about to berate him some more, when she was distracted by both her and Luke's phones ringing. She reached over Luke (yes, he almost passed out when her chest was dangerously close to his face, but let's ignore that) and grabbed her phone to see it was a FaceTime request from their group chat. She happily picked up the call and her smile widened when the faces of all her beautiful friends appeared on her screen.

"Merry Christmas, you guys!" Julie boomed in excitement. She noted the boys were back at home, as their backgrounds weren't very familiar; she knew Flynn stayed back at their dorms, because her family flew out to her this year. They cheered their holiday wishes back to her in their natural chaotic fashion.

"Where's Luke?" Alex asked, and Julie flipped the camera on her phone. Luke was still lying on his back, arms stretched above his head in a lazy manner. Upon noticing what Julie was doing, he shot a sleepy smile at the camera.

Julie watched as Flynn nearly dropped her phone, Reggie's eyes widened, his eyebrows lifting into his hairline and Alex's jaw literally dropped.

"Luke! Why are your nips out, dude?" Alex bellowed, unable to stop himself from laughing hysterically. "What is this _indecency_? I knew we shouldn't have let you two go without us!"

Luke laughed, suddenly remembering he never put on a shirt last night; however, Julie didn't seem to mind, so he didn't either. "I was tired last night, man, I forgot."

"Mhm, sure," Alex teased.

Flynn had yet to make a comment, but when Julie turned the camera back to herself, she sent a smirk in her direction. "We're going to have a chat later."

Julie rolled her eyes and also removed herself from Luke. She snuggled back into her previous spot, the camera now capturing both her and Luke in the frame.

"When are you guys going back?" Reggie asked. "Hopefully the trip back is better than the one here. The dude beside me on the plane snored _a lot_.”

“But I sat beside you on the plane,” Alex replied, brows furrowed in confusion. Then he got it. “Oh. I see what just happened. Well, you weren’t much better. Do you ever stop talking?”

Reggie smirked. “Why would I stop talking? That’s why we have mouths! Oh, and to eat. I love food.”

“We’re leaving tomorrow already,” Julie interjected before her two friends got into a full blown argument. “I’m sure my family will be convinced after two days.”

“How’s that going, by the way?” Flynn asked. Flynn obviously knew about Julie’s crush on Luke, even if Julie couldn’t admit it. She thought this was a terrible idea from the start, that she was going to get hurt or things would get weird (a hopeful part of her was optimistic that this trip would solidify their feelings and relationship). She was only looking out for Julie, but Julie was in too desperate of a position to even care about the ramifications.

Luke leaned his head down, fitting into the frame. “They all love me, obviously.”

“Clearly they don’t know you very well.”

“Shut up, Alex.”

“It’s going fine,” Julie interrupted, once again putting a halt to an argument between her friends; they were chaotic but she wouldn’t want them any other way. “They’re nosy and intrusive but Luke’s been handling it well.”

Reggie raised a curious eyebrow. “Anything interesting happen?”

“Like what?” Julie prompted.

“Well, they do think you’re in love,” Flynn explained, “And I’m sure you have to act like it.”

Julie peaked an eye behind her at Luke, who was suddenly very interested in the loose thread on the blanket. “Oh, _that._ It’s nothing excessive. He just holds my hand a bit, and we kissed like once.”

Julie should have known she couldn’t drop a bomb like that on her friends and expect them to take it in stride. Even Luke (who was a participant in said kiss) stiffened beneath her and was looking everywhere but at her phone screen.

“What?” Alex exclaimed, his camera shaking as he nearly dropped his phone in shock. “You guys kissed and I wasn’t informed immediately? Luke, what the _hell_?”

Flynn was also in the same boat. “A simple text message would have sufficed!”

“I knew it all along.”

“What? No, you didn’t, Reggie.”

He rolled his eyes. “In my mind, I did. I know everything.”

“Well, then you know I’m finished with this conversation and will see all your gorgeous faces whenever you get back,” Julie replied.

Alex shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to need about a month to emotionally recover from this revelation. You can’t just drop this on me!”

“How do you think I feel?” Reggie exclaimed. “I’m a child of divorce. I'm extra fragile!"

"Alright, I think it's time to let you guys go. This conversation is really getting away from me," Julie laughed. "I'll see you all soon. Merry Christmas!"

After a few choruses of 'Merry Christmas', Julie's screen was black once again and she was distinctly aware of how close she was to Luke. It wouldn't have been weird if their friends hadn't made a big deal about their kiss only minutes earlier. The truth was, Julie didn't remember much after she started drinking, but she did know a little part of her _wanted_ to kiss Luke. But she couldn't tell him that. Because they were best friends and nothing more. However, she was lowkey nervous she said something she shouldn't have while she was inebriated. And unfortunately for her, Luke wasn't giving much away.

"That was weird."

Julie decided to test the waters with a simple statement, that depending on how Luke responded to it, could tell her a lot about what he was feeling.

"Mhm, yeah. Weird."

Luke spoke so fast and he was out of the bed before Julie even had a chance to blink.

"I'm going to shower. Dress code today?"

Julie was momentarily stunned at the full view of his chest, but obviously she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable or anything; she averted her gaze to his face, where he was pointedly looking anywhere but at her.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “Um — no?”

“Great, thanks!”

With that, he grabbed a few random articles of clothing and quickly made his way to the washroom. He left Julie stunned; she wasn't used to seeing Luke act so curt around her. It only unsettled her further, considering she had no idea what happened the night before. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the small box she stuffed clumsily into her closet; it was her gift to Luke for the holidays. It was small and simple but incredibly meaningful; but now she was nervous on when to even give it to him. She decided to let him take the reins and follow his lead.

Checking her phone for any notifications, she groaned when she saw it was still so early. But on the bright side, it sprouted an idea in her mind to cook breakfast for her family as a thank you for hosting her and Luke for the holidays. She was still wearing her uncomfortable jeans from the previous night and Christmas sweater, so she quickly whipped them off and pulled on a pair of cotton sleeping shorts. She was rummaging for another sweater to change into, but then she spotted Luke's magenta sweatshirt and thought, _why not_?

She was no professional in the kitchen by any means, but she could handle a breakfast. Coffee, toast, pancakes, bacon and eggs; she was a fan of breakfast being appropriate for all meals of the day, so it took her no time at all. She took her phone out and played some Christmas music; not too loud because some people were still sleeping, but she also needed to get back into the Christmas spirit.

When Luke came down the stairs, he was hit with the mouth-watering scent of pancakes and he was nearly drooling by the time he entered the kitchen. Soon he found himself nearly drooling for an entirely different reason. Julie stood in front of the stove, messy curls on display, singly lowly to the spirited music, and wearing his _favourite_ sweater. Luke needed a long moment to compose himself and get his shit together, because after everything that had happened in the past few days, his mind was incredibly jumbled. Even as he was trying to be exceptionally quiet, his socks betrayed him when he quite literally slipped into the kitchen and caught Julie's attention.

Immediately, her cheeks coloured and his heart filled with warmth (because she was so damn adorable). "Oh, sorry," she apologized in embarrassment. And then as if she realized what she was wearing for the first time (because the clearly shocked expression on Luke's face was making her second guess her decision), her eyes widened and she absentmindedly pulled on the sleeves. "Oh! I'm sorry, I just grabbed this because it was right there. Sorry, I should've asked or someth—"

"You don't ever have to apologize to me, you know that." Luke interrupted with a small smile. He walked closer, peering over her shoulder at the pancakes she was making. "Especially not for wearing my clothes."

He was so close in proximity and speaking about wearing his clothes and she literally forgot how to breathe.

"This smells delicious, Jules."

Luke was still so unbelievably close to her. He was once again leaning over her shoulder, so she pressed herself as far back as possible; unfortunately, right into the line of fire. The steam from the pan caught on the bare skin of her forearm (she had to roll up the sleeves because they were much too baggy), and she cursed loudly.

Luke immediately jumped into action, grabbing her hip and guiding her over to the sink so he could run the wound under cold water. Julie hissed in response. “Shit. You okay? What happened?”

"Just me being a clumsy idiot," she muttered under her breath. Then she remembered the pancakes. "Don't let the pancakes burn!"

Julie watched Luke roll his eyes, but he didn't move from her side. "I think your burning flesh is more important than pancakes, Jules."

"Clearly you've never had my pancakes."

At her snarky comment, he let out a chuckle and moved over to turn off the stove and check on the pancakes. She saw him move them over to the designated pancake

plate at the same moment her dad came around the corner and entered the kitchen.

“Good Morning!” He greeted them cheerily. He walked over to give Julie and kiss on her head. “Mija, what happened?”

“Oh, I just burned myself,” Julie shrugged, “It’s nothing, don’t worry. What’s the plan for today? Are we going back to Tia Victoria’s?”

Ray chuckled. “Actually, no. Everyone’s coming here.”

“You’re cooking for _everyone_?”

“You don’t have to say it like that, mija,” Ray frowned. “I’m not cooking. Tia is bringing leftovers and everyone else is bringing some dishes too.”

Julie smiled toothily. “That’s a relief.”

“Alright, I’ve had enough of you. Go get dressed!” Ray told her with a hint of a smirk. “Surely you’re not wearing _that_ when your family comes over. They’ll never let you hear the end of it.”

With a frown, Julie peered down at her outfit. He wasn’t wrong; it was a very messily put together outfit, but if she was being honest, the sweatshirt was very comfortable and she didn’t really want to give it up. “But I made breakfast!”

“It’ll be here when you get back,” Ray replied. “Plus, I need to borrow Luke to bring up some tables and spare chairs.”

Julie sighed. “Fine.” On her way back upstairs, she stole two pieces of bacon.

She made her way to the bathroom first, brushing out her curls to leave them down naturally. When it came to picking an outfit, she chose very simply. A white knit sweater paired with her favourite pair of black leggings. Christmas Day was meant to be comfortable and she’d be damned if she wore another pair of jeans when they were eating _that_ much. She also took pointers from Luke’s outfit, because even though he quite literally ran out of the room with random clothing, he had chosen a quite sensible outfit. He was wearing a black band t-shirt (oh, what a shocker) with a matching pair of black joggers. He was comfortable, she was comfortable and she found it kind of funny how she chose white, the complete opposite from him. It felt kind of fitting but after the weirdness that had transpired that day, she didn’t want to read into anything. Lastly, she put on a pair of high Christmas socks and made her way back downstairs because she was absolutely drooling for same pancakes right about now.

When she reached the kitchen, it was only Luke at the table. She spotted the extra chairs and tables off to the side, but Luke was the only one sitting down to eat breakfast (already gulping it down too).

“Where’s my dad?”

Luke looked up, noticing her for the first time, and smiled softly. “He said something about firewood? I think he’s out back.”

Julie peered through the window located above the sink and saw the shed light was on. “Oh, probably for the fireplace.”

Even as she was distracted looking out the window, Luke couldn’t look away. She looked amazing in white (and yeah, maybe she looked _much_ better in his sweater, but this would have to do). “You look beautiful,” he ended up blurting out.

Julie’s eyes snapped over to his. “Oh — um, thank you. I was too lazy to put on proper clothes. My Tia will probably yell at me for wearing leggings but I’m so comfortable right now.”

Since Luke had already started the conversation, he may as well say exactly how he’s feeling.

“Personally, I think you looked better in my sweater,” he added, meeting her eyes dead on. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. “But you also look really good in white.”

Julie couldn’t deal with so many compliments in a row. She could feel herself starting to overheat.

When he stood and made his way over to her by the counter, she almost passed out. His fingertips trailed down her cheek to cradle her jaw. Her eyes were so wide, they were starting to dry up. But Luke looked so calm, and she noticed his eyes flicker down to her lips.

Julie’s knees nearly buckled.

“Can I kiss you good morning?”

Julie stopped breathing; she was on the edge of a total blackout, but she still managed to nod her head.

Luke’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. His eyes met hers one more time to scope out how she was truly feeling. He slowly moved in closer, cradling her jaw to fit his angle perfectly. His lips pressed against her slowly. It was a chaste, quick kiss (they all seemed to be, much to Julie’s disappointment), but it was sweet and warm, and it was making her insides want to explode.

When he pulled away, his gaze was focused solely on her. She wasn’t entirely sure what this was; if it was Luke and Julie acting or if it was solely _Luke and Julie_. She was too scared to ask, but he beat her to the punch.

“I saw your dad through the window,” he explained. “And we weren’t very affectionate this morning. I think that should satisfy him, don’t you?”

Julie was too afraid to speak. She was scared her voice would break embarrassingly and she would do something dumb like burst into tears. She wasn’t expecting that to hurt so much (especially because that’s the whole reason he’s here in the first place), but it truly hurt like hell and Julie had to put some distance in between them immediately.

So, instead she shoved some more bacon in her mouth and busied herself with eating breakfast.

Luke noticed the change immediately. His whole idea for the day was to put some distance between them because he was still confused as hell about her drunken confession last night. But instead he did _that_.

Ray came back into the house with the firewood, so Luke rushed over to help him. Together they started the fire, and Luke volunteered to set up the chairs and tables, but deep down, he knew he was doing this to avoid Julie. Which was truly unfortunate because it was the exact opposite of what he was supposed to be doing. After he was finished, he noticed the dishes were all washed and dried and Julie was nowhere to be found.

With a large sigh, he dragged his feet all the way up the stairs to where Julie was undoubtedly in her room. When he opened the door and poked his head in, he spotted Julie sitting on the floor of her closet and she was playing with a small box.

“Hey,” he greeted quietly, leaning against the frame of her closet door. She looked up at him with a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Luke let out another sigh and slid down cross-legged in front of her.

“Alright. So, full disclosure: I’m feeling a weird vibe. Are you feeling it too?”

Julie frowned at his words. “Yeah.”

He was hoping for a little more, but she could hardly look at him, much less talk to him. “And it’s probably my fault. I’m sorry if I’m being too much, or being weird. I’m just trying not to mess this up and I think I keep making everything worse.”

“It’s not just you,” Julie admitted. “It’s me too. Maybe we didn’t think this through enough. It just feels like every time one of us gets a bit comfortable, the other just pulls away.”

Julie wasn’t wrong. In the morning, Luke panicked when their kiss was put on blast by their friends (not to mention the fact that she had no recollection of her words the previous night). Later on, Julie panicked when he got a bit too close to her and burned herself on the stove. And then kiss number two happened and they both freaked out.

Fast forward to this moment, and they truly didn’t know where they stood with each other.

“I don’t want things to be weird,” Luke told her honestly. Her hands were still fiddling with the black box, and if they weren’t, he would probably try to grab her hand in comfort. “You mean too much to me, Jules. I don’t want to screw up what we have.”

To be honest, Julie wasn’t sure what they had anymore. She’d admitted to herself long ago that what she felt for Luke was much more than friendship, but she never got the vibe he felt the same way. Not until now. She saw the way he looks at her sometimes; she may not be completely certain, but she had an inkling.

“Today is our last day. We’re almost finished.”

Luke fixed her with a calculating gaze. “As long as you’re okay with it. Our friendship means so much to me. You mean so much to me.”

It felt like a punch in the gut. How is it that something like mentioning their friendship, something she knew all about, could hurt so much? It was more obvious than ever now; this was a terrible idea, but she was in too deep to back out.

But she couldn’t let this get her down. It was Christmas, after all.

“Cool your jets, Patterson. Or I’ll think you’re actually in love with me,” Julie teased, forcing her body to display her teasing manner and tone. She leaned forward to bump his knee with hers and she laughed (it was forced, but she couldn’t handle the weirdness anymore). If going back to their teasing, fun normal would get her feelings out of her mind, that would have to do. No matter how much it pained her.

Luke felt a sigh of relief leave his body at the familiarity of her behaviour. “Please, Molina. What’s not to love?”

“Uh — before I forget,” Julie murmured, handing the black box to him. “Merry Christmas.” Luke’s smile grew and he eagerly tore open the box, like a typical toddler on Christmas. “It’s not much!” Julie added hesitantly. “I just saw this place where you could custom make them and I just had to. I hope you like it.”

Inside the box was a collection of custom made guitar picks. Some of them included their Sunset Curve logo and others were personalized with his name and initials in different fonts and colours. “Jules,” her name fell from his mouth in awe, “This is — wow. You killed it.” As he combed through the picks, he spotted one in particular. It was a matte black with a personalized scribble in white; he immediately recognized the scribble as Julie’s initials.

“Oh,” Julie squeaked upon realizing what pick he was studying. “Honestly, I meant to take that one out. I think it’s kind of weird but —”

“I love it.” Luke interrupted, looking up into her surprised brown eyes.

“You do?”

He nodded vigorously. “I think it’s my favourite. I really love this, Julie. It was the perfect gift for me. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied amongst her coloured cheeks. “I’m glad you like it.”

With a smirk, he immediately stood up and went over to his suitcase. “Your turn!” He pulled out a velvet box and quickly returned to his seat. He was basically vibrating as he handed her the box; he was just so excited to see her reaction. Luke had gotten Alex and Flynn’s help for this gift.

Julie opened the box, and she wasn’t proud of the sound that left her mouth; it was a mix between a gasp and strangled scream, but it had Luke laughing, so it was okay. Inside the box was a beautiful rose gold necklace, detailed with her name in cursive writing, followed by a star.

“Luke,” Julie gasped. She didn’t know what else to say.

“I wanted to add the star,” he explained. When she looked up, his cheeks were rosy and his hand had snuck up to scratch the back of his head; it was his nervous tick. “Because, well — you’re a star, Julie.”

Julie still couldn’t speak. Her fear was that if she opened her mouth, she would start crying or literally profess her love for him. So, instead, she launched herself at him to wrap her arms around his neck; she almost sent the beautiful necklace flying across the room. Luke laughed, catching her with ease and holding her tight. It was a nice change from the awkwardness that had surrounded them all morning.

“I love it so much,” Julie mumbled into his neck. It was much easier to talk when his piercing hazel eyes weren’t staring at her. “Thank you. For everything. I couldn’t do this without you.”

Luke squeezed tighter. “I’m always with you, Jules.”

* * *

When Julie’s family arrived later that day, she felt like a new woman. She was sporting her beautiful gift from Luke, and he was by her side, holding her hand the entire afternoon. It was so nice to forget about everything that had happened and just be in the moment.

“Mija, you didn’t tell us how you two met yesterday!”

At Tia Victoria’s statement, Luke immediately let out a laugh and Julie had no choice but to smack his arm.

“She doesn’t like this story,” Luke teased with a laugh. "She think it's embarrassing but I think it's adorable."

Julie crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. The movement pulled her hand out of Luke's, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "It _is_ embarrassing! I cried!"

"He made you cry?" Ray frowned.

"No!" Julie insisted. For a mere moment, Luke's face paled, but with a quick smirk from Ray, he knew he was alright. “I met Luke on my first day of university. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.”

Tia Victoria snorted. “Mija, don’t lie, it’s impolite.”

“Fine,” she sighed. “I ran into Luke when I was trying to find my class. He was holding a coffee. Use your imagination.”

Carlos rose an eyebrow. “You really know how to tell a story, don’t you?”

“I accidentally spilled my coffee all over her and I was fully expecting this tiny girl to start yelling at me and give me hell, but instead, she started crying," Luke explained. He was trying really hard to keep his composure and not laugh, because he had no doubt that she would punch him in the throat if he did.

"Yes, I cried. But _you_ had absolutely no idea how to comfort a crying human and it was the most awkward moment of my life."

"But I had tissues."

"You patted my arm like a dog!"

"Anyway," Luke interjected, rolling his eyes. "She cried, I comforted. Turned out we were in the same class, and the rest was history."

But Tia Victoria wasn't completely satisfied.

"But when did you _know_?" She asked, with wide, curious eyes.

Julie stayed quiet, furrowing her brows. That was a tricky question. Obviously she was in love with him, but she'd never said it out loud, much less in front of Luke. And to pinpoint the exact moment and tell him? She was starting to overheat.

While she was contemplating how to fake a heart attack to avoid the impending conversation, Luke seemed completely at ease and took her by surprise when he answered the question. "I think it was the first time I heard her sing. She was so amazing, is so amazing. I was just blown away."

If Julie wasn't overheating before, she definitely was now. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and was seriously starting to regret the decision to wear a cable knit sweater today. As her family all cooed in adoration at his loving statement, Julie shrunk even deeper into her seat on the couch (and closer to Luke).

"Julie?" Tia Victoria prompted.

The curiosity of that woman would undoubtedly be the death of her.

Julie shot her aunt a sharp glare; she couldn't bear to make things weirder. She already didn't know how to handle Luke's statement as it was. "Do we not have other things to talk about? Food to eat? Please?"

At her tone of desperation, her father took pity on her and quickly changed the topic of conversation. Luke and Julie didn't really contribute; she stayed in his embrace quietly, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. He didn't mention his confession, and neither did she. Worst case scenario, it was just something he made up for the sake of their fake relationship. But best case scenario, he actually meant it. And even if it wasn't love, maybe it still meant something. However, she was too afraid to ask.

Dinner was calm and much more relaxed than the previous day where her family cornered Luke with questions. Her family was much more at ease now and they were pretty much over the shiny new object. It worked well for them; their dinnertime conversation included Julie's cousins and was focused on their studies and life in general. Luke didn't really have much of a chance to interact with Julie's cousins the previous day (save for the nearly murderous Monopoly game), so it was especially nice.

However, the party didn't last long. Many had to work the next day, and Luke and Julie planned to head out around noon, so they cut the night short. Luke was slightly overwhelmed with the warm goodbye he received form all of Julie's family members. They kept repeating how nice it was to meet him and how they hoped they would see him again soon. It overwhelmed him because he realized he actually wanted to see them again, and that meant having a particular conversation with Julie that he wasn't sure he was ready for.

"I'll see you two in the morning! Make sure you're packed and ready to go by noon!" Ray called, pressing a kiss to Julie's forehead before retreating upstairs to his room.

Julie was feeling exceptionally tired now, and she didn't hesitate to follow up the stairs, to her room and flop on her bed.

"It's over," she sighed into her pillow. "It's finally over."

Luke chuckled. He grabbed a few articles of clothing scattered around the room to put back in his suitcase. His revelation of his feelings for her kept replaying in his head, and he wasn't sure how to handle it; he wasn't even sure if he wanted to address them yet.

"Are you happy it's over?" Julie asked when all she heard was silence.

Luke paused, unsure how to answer. "Uh — yeah, I guess so."

At his odd tone, Julie sat up and shot him a curious glance; Luke avoided her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

His tone was now clipped and Julie hated it. The entire day things between them had been so back and forth, and everything had been so good up until now, but for some reason, Luke was starting to get weird again. And Julie honestly wasn't sure if she could handle it. The entire situation made an anger burn deep in her stomach and she found it emanating at the worst possible moment.

"Okay." She snapped. She followed his direction and started gathering her clothes angrily.

Luke cringed at her tone and again at her violent actions. "Are you okay?"

Julie slammed a pile of clothing on top of her bed. She whirled around to face him, her curls angrily hitting her in the face. "Are you seriously asking me that right now? I cannot deal with your mood changes anymore; you're giving me whiplash."

"Mine?" Luke replied, eyebrows furrowing in disappointment. It wasn't often he used this tone with Julie, if he ever even had, but he would like to think it was warranted this time. "You've been just as bad! What the hell was that in the kitchen?"

"You _kissed_ me!"

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Julie didn't have a proper answer to that and she could tell he was getting heated. But she wasn't ready to roll over and lose the fight (she wasn't one to pick fights, but she also wasn't one to not finish them).

"Do not put this on me. You're the one who's been all stand-offish today! What even was that this morning?"

Luke's jaw clenched immediately and it didn't go unnoticed. "It was nothing. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, great," Julie scoffed, throwing her hands up in annoyance. "Just shut down again, because _that_ will really help things! Why are you acting like this, Luke? This isn't you!"

Luke stared at Julie, his jaw twitching; it was a split second decision, but it was too late. "I'm acting like this because you said something last night and I don't know how to handle it!"

Julie froze, dropping the clothes in her hands. Luke was breathing hard and his gaze was trained on her frozen features. He didn't want to drop it like this, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to tell her in the first place, but now it was out there.

"What are you talking about?" She asked hesitantly.

Luke broke their eye contact and continued to shove his clothes back into this suitcase; for some reason, he was having a harder time fitting it all back in this time (it could be the angry manner in which he was doing it). "You — just forget I said anything. Julie, I don't want to fight with you."

"It's a little late for that," Julie snapped. "What the hell did I say to have you acting like this? And _don't_ lie to me!"

Luke frowned. "When have I ever lied to you?"

"Luke," she growled, her patience starting to run thin.

He sighed quietly; he regretted everything so badly. Starting this fight with Julie, acting weirdly all day, and maybe even deciding to come down here as her fake-boyfriend in the first place.

"You said you didn't kiss me because of the mistletoe," he said quietly. He avoided her eyes for the moment. "You said you've wanted me to kiss you for months now."

Luke glanced up, and to his surprise, Julie didn't look mortified. She looked slightly paler than normal, but her reaction consisted of pursed lips and sharp eyes. Her reaction didn't hurt nearly as much as her next words did. "Yeah, well — I guess I didn't know what I was thinking."

Luke guessed her next actions before she even moved. She was never a fan of confrontation and when push came to shove, she'd rather bail than hurt herself or anyone else; so, he knew she was going to make a beeline for the door and avoid him (likely until they left the next day) and he couldn't have that. He beat her to the door, with his long limbs and languid movements. "Julie, stop."

Julie rolled her eyes at his imposition and tried to sidestep him. "Luke, you said it yourself; you don't want to fight. Just let me go, please."

"And you said it was too late. We need to talk about this."

"You hate talking about your feelings!"

Luke frowned again. "But I like talking to you. Please."

"You said you didn't know how to handle it," Julie conceded and told him quietly. "You heard what I said and it freaked the hell out of you. And I made you come down here and pretend to be my boyfriend, and now everything's a mess and I ruined us!"

"Hey," Luke whispered, reaching a hand out to her cheek; she almost flinched. "You didn't make me do anything. I wanted to! You mean so much to me and if I could do anything to help you, you know I would in a heartbeat."

Julie leaned into his touch. "But now I ruined us."

"You didn't."

"Luke, you're not hearing me," she pleaded guiltily. "You mean more to me than that. I think I'm fal —"

"And you're not letting me finish!" He interjected. For the first time since this challenging conversation started, his lips were smiling. "When you said that, it got me thinking. Yeah, I lost my cool at first but then I realized, I _wanted_ to kiss you. But I just — I'm not good at expressing my feelings!"

Julie's jaw quite literally dropped. She always hoped this would happen, maybe even thought about it as a low possibility, but she wasn't expecting Luke to full out open his heart up like that. And now that it was happening, she wasn't sure what to do with it. God, they were such messes for each other.

"And now I can't really tell what you're thinking, and maybe you don't feel the same," he continued, biting his lip. "But I just want to say: I'm really happy you asked me to do this Jules, because I think it was the push I needed to realize it."

"Realize what?" Julie croaked out.

Luke smiled, dropped his hands to hold hers. "That you're the girl of my dreams and I'm a total _idiot_ for not realizing it sooner."

Julie sucked in a large breath. "Luke, you have to actually spell it out for me because I can't — I don't —"

"Jules, I really like you. And I don't want to be your fake boyfriend anymore," he told her with a small smile. "Don't get me wrong, it was great. But I'm ready for the real thing. What do you say?"

To be honest, Julie couldn't say much because her brain was not responding to anything her body wanted to do. All she knew was that everything she wanted to happen was finally happening, and she wasn't going to let her lagging brain take that away from her. So, she pushed forward and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He laughed and she was just so excited all the weirdness was over and done with.

"Yes," she mumbled into his neck. "Yes, yes, yes."

Luke pulled away from the hug, only to cradle her face in his hands. His hazel eyes were calculating and full of adoration. He wasn't expecting a full out relationship when he agreed to help his best friend, but apparently, it was exactly what he wanted. "And to think this all came out of your adorable drunk rambling."

Julie's cheeks reddened, but she was far too happy to let that embarrass her. "Tequila once again saves the day."

Luke grinned in response, moving in closer and allowing Julie to close the distance between them. They'd kissed before, but this was their first real kiss as an official couple. It was simple and sweet, but just knowing that it was real, and he was finally hers, had Julie giggling uncontrollably. Luke took it in stride, joining her and pressing her against his chest again.

"Merry Christmas, Luke."

"Alexa, play 'All I Want for Christmas is You'."

"Oh, shut _up_."

* * *

**_a little bonus for everyone who stuck around for this fic (even when i took much longer than anticipated):_ **

Leaving her father and Carlos again was bittersweet, but as usual, they were so unbelievably supportive of her and her dreams that she knew it was okay to leave again. It only reminded her how close they all were and how she should really come home more often. Her father made sure to tell her that repeatedly, and when he told Luke the same thing, her heart warmed and she couldn't get the ridiculously large smile off her face until they boarded the plane.

Everything with Luke was even easier than before. He was her best friend and now her boyfriend.

She could do anything she wanted.

When she randomly grabbed his hand while they were checking into their flights, no one even batted an eye. When he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked away from her family because he could tears in her eyes, it felt completely natural. When they cuddled into each other on the plane, Julie didn't panic even once at the idea of Luke being so close to her. And when they walked out of baggage claim and Julie jumped onto Luke's back, it was purely because she wanted to and she could.

The next step was breaking the news to their friends, although, it didn't take much. When they met at Luke's apartment with the boys, their friends were already there with a make-shift Christmas party of their own.

"It's Friendsmas," Reggie explained, like it was obvious.

Julie was slightly surprised none of them had noticed their intertwined for the entire five minutes they'd been inside the apartment. But how dare she underestimate Flynn because as soon as she caught sight of it, she quite literally screamed. Alex dropped his red solo cup from his seat beside her on the couch and turned to her with alarmed (and offended - she made him drop his drink!) eyes.

"I knew it!" She screamed loudly, jumping off the couch and dragging Alex with her. In her excitement, she continuously smacked Alex's bicep (she needed to get her excitement out somehow). Alex yelped in pain and was about to say something until Flynn directed his gaze over to the unabashed couple.

Alex also followed suit in screaming and all that was left was Reggie, gaze flickering between everyone in the room like they'd gone officially insane. "Why is everyone screaming?" He cried loudly. "What is going on?"

To put him out of his misery, Luke lifted their intertwined hands. Reggie only stared harder.

"What?"

"Dude, they're _together_!" Alex explained, hitting his friend's arm.

Reggie furrowed his eyebrows together. "As if none of you didn't think they'd come back an official couple!"

"So, everyone knew about us, except us?" Julie frowned.

Flynn nodded, lips set in a knowing smirk. "Girl, we've known for ages! Luke looks at you like a lovesick puppy every chance he gets."

"Hey!"

"It's true, bro," Alex agreed, resting his arm on Flynn's shoulder because she was just that perfect height. "It was a bit creepy at first actually, but Julie does the same, so whatever."

"Alright," Julie clicked her tongue, "I wasn't expecting to get attacked tonight."

When the doorbell rang, Reggie ran to it with an excited smile. "Friendsmas means pizza!"

"But seriously," Alex added with a genuine smile. "I'm super stoked for you both."

"Me too," Flynn agreed, then her eyes narrowed on Luke. "We're going to have a talk later though. If you hurt her, you will not live to graduate."

Luke tightened his grip on Julie's hand and smiled politely. "Oh, I have no doubt, Flynn."

"It's pizza time!"

That was the story of how Luke Patterson and Julie Molina got together. All it took was a plot to deceive her family at Christmas time, and real feelings for each other. Their bond was inseparable before, and it only grew stronger.

And the rest was history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hello thanks for reading!!!
> 
> so yeah, it was kind of back and forth, i'll admit that but tbh by the end, i just wanted to finish it for you all who were waiting so patiently, so i hope it's still okay! 
> 
> i also hope this provided as some sort of happiness or comfort to some of you considering everything that is happening today. i hope everyone is staying safe and i hope this all comes to an end soon!
> 
> thank you all for reading!
> 
> p.s. tumblr gave me a kind of wild idea??? a modern juke au of 'a cinderella story' - the one with hilary duff?? idk i'm kind of into it, what do you all think??
> 
> OKAY ANYWAY
> 
> thank you for reading my rambles as usual. feel free to follow me on tumblr at @ruzek-halstead. my asks/messages are always open and i'm very friendly i promise!! we can fangirl over jatp together 
> 
> stay safe everyone, thanks for reading x

**Author's Note:**

> ahhhhh, what did you all think???
> 
> i'm excited to keep writing and see where this goes. if any of you have any requests for what you want to see, drop them in the comments and i'll do my best to include what i can :)
> 
> personally, i'm looking forward to some heated game board arguments and some mistletoe action ;)
> 
> i haven't decided how many chapters i'm going to make this, but i'm aiming for three (chapter two for christmas eve and chapter three for christmas day) so they're most likely gonna be hella long 
> 
> okay i'm done rambling again. thanks for reading!! please let me know your thoughts! kudos and comments really make a writer's day. thank you all!!
> 
> stay safe!! xx


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